01/08/2013 BBC Newsline

Newsline: A DUP councillor apologises over Facebook comments

about republicans. The Parades Commission re-routes a

controversial republican parade in Castlederg.

The police investigate the murder of a man who was stabbed in Dungannon.

Also on the programme: The stage is set for the opening ceremony of the

World Police and Fire Games. We're here live as the action begins.

Anything the men can do, the women can do, too! Ireland's female

cricketers qualify for the World Cup.

And with today's rain clearing away, we're back to our normal set-up of

sunshine and showers. I'll have more in the programme.

A DUP councillor has unreservedly apologised for comments she made

about a Republican parade planned for Castlederg. Ruth Patterson, a

former deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast, said she was guilty of "a lapse of

judgement". Ruth Patterson has never hidden her

dislike of Sinn Fein. Why are we a divided city? Because of Sinn Fein!

But her Facebook comments are on a different level. She was responding

to a post on who is pictured an attack on the parade. In response,

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 58 seconds

from Ruth Patterson and usually involves Sinn Fein. Her name will

well and truly be scum! It's in the Doctor as we speak. When elected,

she publicly refused to shake hands with the Sinn Fein Maher and was

very visible at flight protests. In 2004, she and the then the UUP

deputy leader were found guilty of broking -- blocking the road during

another protest, but times have changed. The focus will now fall on

what the D U P decides to do with the party already fearing that her

comments will make it and not Sinn Fein the story. One source said

there was incredible anger at what she had said.

The Parades Commission has placed restrictions on that republican

parade in Castlederg later this month. Among those it will

commemorate are two IRA members killed by their own bomb in 1973.

Unionists have described the parade as grossly insensitive.

Here, people are still taking in the detail of the parades commission

determination. What the commission has done is re-routed the entire

parade, away from the centre. This commemoration has strongly divided

opinion in this border town and earlier, I got the reaction of this

woman's 25-year-old brother who was shot by an IRA gang in 1980. He died

from his injuries for years later. think they are dancing on my

brother's grave and other peoples. They're dancing on graves. For years

was living hell for him. He was always looking over his shoulder. He

had three young children under the age of seven. It was healthy him.

Republicans here have defended their right to stage such a commemoration.

With me is the Sinn Fein chair. Your reaction to this determination.

reaction is one of disappointment. Given the committee have undertaken

to voluntarily re-routed their parade away from the emotive issue

of the town centre files -- town cenotaph and Methodist church, the

message the parades commission have sent out today is that despite

having to tolerate numinous -- numerous demonstrations, we can way

out, after everything that town centre, the Centre is a no-go area

for Republicans and nationalists and are second class citizens. The

volunteers Day is a parade organised to commemorate the men and women who

dedicated their lives and the struggle for Irish freedom. We, as

equal citizens with equal rights, have every right to march and

demonstrate in our own town centre. This is clearly a very emotive issue

and there are strong arguments on all sides. It's unlikely that will

subside ahead of the parade on Sunday week.

It's understood the young children of the man stabbed to death in

Dungannon were in the house at the time. The family are being cared for

in a leisure centre while a new house is sought for them. The police

have started a murder investigation. It was in this house, 8000 miles

from his home country, that a migrant worker lost his life last

night. The police he believed he was murdered. This afternoon, the man's

family, unable to return home to what is a crime scene, had been

looked after at the nearby leisure centre while alternative

accommodation is sought. That family includes several young children.

It's thought they were in the house last night when their father was

killed but that they were asleep. The family are grieving and waking

up to terrible news this morning and who are going to have to be

supported by the remains of their loved one. Yes, the culture we value

and have great respect for our non-national community here. We need

to support them. The man, arrested, is still being questioned. The

police meanwhile have set up an incident room and are urging anyone

who knows about anything what happens to get in touch.

Still to come on the programme before seven: Why Northern Ireland

is leading the way in the tablet revolution.

The opening ceremony of the World Police and Fire Games is just

getting underway at the Balmoral Showgrounds in South Belfast.

There's already been action in some sports but today is the official

start. These are live pictures from the ceremony which is beginning with

the display of flags. It's the first time the ten-day event has been held

in the UK. 6,700 international competitors have entered. That's

less than the organisers originally predicted. The biggest single

contingent has come from America. In all, 67 countries are taking part.

Serving and retired police officers, fire-fighters and prison officers

from across the world will compete in 56 different events at 41 venues.

If you want to be a spectator, entry is free. The opening ceremony is in

full flow at the Balmoral Showgrounds.

Quite an occasion here in south Belfast. People are here from right

around the world. 67 different countries from Argentina to

Australia. For thousands of people here, most is their first time in

Belfast. Why are they here? To play a range of different sports from

golf to football to rugby to tennis to table tennis. What they have in

common is they are police officers, prison officers or firefighters.

What do they think of Belfast now they are here?

They will perform on any stage. Carnival time for the visiting

competitors. All this is happening around us, the camaraderie, the good

times. The emergency services getting together and really

celebrating what we do and enjoying other people 's company. So far, we

have only found the refreshment tent is? We are having a great time.

going to play basketball. Some of us are going to cycle, box, bench

press, soccer. When they aren't competing, those athletes could be

here, trying out their dance moves. Not a place to stay but to socialise

and there are lots of others, determined the athletes will have an

authentic local experience. The people running the bar services have

come up with a novel idea. T-shirts for the staff to wear. They gone

down an absolute storm. As for feeding our 7000 visitors, how about

giving them a taste of everything? We gathered together a collective of

producers, restauranteurs and chefs and wanted to showcase Northern

Irish food. How can you help us? Lead but at the best of Northern

Ireland produce. These games are about spectacle as well as

competition, fun and friendship. Two people who have made these games

possible are John Tolley, the chief executive, and Judith LSP, deputy

chief constable. You have had a good start, even got the rain to stop.

are so thankful it is dry. John Tolley, let's talk about numbers

before we get into what is going to be happening for the next ten days.

Around 7000 instead of 10,000. What went wrong? Absolutely nothing went

wrong, in terms of delivering a hugely successful event. They will

have ten days of fantastic sport. We will kick it off tonight with the

opening ceremony. We are going to deliver a fantastic event here.

These athletes will go home and tell their friends and family about

Northern Ireland and spread the word about what it is like to be in

Belfast and right across the province. But with around 30% less

in terms of competitors than you expected, you cannot really deliver

the �50 million economic windfall you talk about initially. This is

not simply about an economic windfall. It is a building block for

the future of Northern Ireland. We want to set the tone and step the

strategy for Northern Ireland and deliver against that, which is all

about sport, the benefits of participating in sport, the benefits

of improving the relationships with the emergency services, holding

strong relationships with schools and young people. This is a

long-term strategy and we will absolutely deliver. Final word to

you, Judith. It has been a busy summer for the PSN I and some of

them will be competing in sport. Are they not exhausted? ! Yes, it has

been very busy, with the Olympic torch and the G8. But our athletes

are up for the games. They're retired colleagues taking part as

well. It will be a fantastic, fun filled spectacle. And it is all

free? It is all free, and all open to the public. I will let you both

go and enjoy the ceremony. I am going to be busy as well. Join me

later for more action from the opening ceremony. We will return

later. A group of girl guides who had to be rescued in Lough Neagh

yesterday evening are all safe and well after their ordeal. They were

canoeing in a practice Duke of Edinburgh expedition but got into

trouble and got stranded in broth weather conditions. No one was

seriously injured. -- rough weather conditions.

The aftermath of a full-scale emergency operation. These

photographs were taken by Lough Neagh Rescue. One of the emergency

services called out when the group of 14 girl guides and their two

leaders got stranded. The group had been travelling close to the short

when the winds picked up. It is understood that two of the seven

canoes came swamped. By the time the lifeboat reached them, the girls and

their leaders were standing up to their knees in water on marshy

ground. Upon arrival, the lifeboat assessed the situation very quickly

and out of 16 casualties, three of those were suffering from

hypothermia, so we got them back to this race where we had ambulances

waiting, as well as having the rooms inside. Nine of the teenagers and

one of the adults were taken to hospital to be treated for slight

exposure. A member of the group who was on the shore and who had raised

the alarm had to be located by police helicopter after he got lost.

Next to dramatic pictures which show how the simple task of parking the

car turned into a nightmare for a woman in Belfast this morning. A man

threatened her with a knife and grabbed the keys of her vehicle in

Corporation Street. She chased him back toward her white BMW, shouting

to others in the car park for help. The woman managed to grab her

handbag from the passenger seat as the thief started the car. Onlookers

came to her aid and tried to pull him from the vehicle but he managed

to get away. The woman was unhurt but badly shaken. The police are

appealing for witnesses to the incident to contact them at Musgrave

Street station or Crimestoppers. It seems the technology revolution is

taking place in our living rooms. The number of people owning a tablet

computer in Northern Ireland has more than trebled in the past year,

well ahead of Britain. The take-off of smartphones is also on the rise.

Tablets and smartphones. Howard Wheeldon by without them? Nearly a

third of all homes here now have a tablet computer, compared to one in

four in the rest of the UK. The devices are proving particularly

popular among one age group, the over 55 's. It is the ease of use.

It is a switch on device, instantly on. You can connect easily to the

internet. It is not like years ago when you have to think about how you

connect. It is instantly on. rise in popularity has led to an

increase in what is known as Jules Greening. That is using these two

brands the internet and social media while watching this. And it is this

so-called media meshing which is transforming our living rooms.

People like the portability of the devices. One interesting thing we

spotted is the resurgence of the traditional TV living room. A bit

like the 1950s when families will have gathered around the television

to watch programmes, the same thing is happening now at the difference

is people are using all sorts of different devices. While complaints

over poor mobile phone reception have not gone away, almost half the

population have the latest smartphones. Despite half mobile

phone users reporting an issue in the last year, it is clear the

demand for digital devices remains high.

Multitasking women are supposed to be good at that. Well, in sport,

anything be men can do, the women can do as well. Certainly the case

with Ireland's ladies' Ricky team. It is off to Bangladesh for the

Twenty20 World Cup. -- Ireland's ladies' cricket team. The Irish girl

hit the Netherlands by two brands. It is the first time they have

qualified for a bulk up final. -- they beat the Netherlands by two

runs. The women's Twenty20 takes place in Bangladesh next year. Two

decades ago Stephen Craigan died in the Milk Cup as a 15-year-old. --

played in the Milk Cup. We spent the day with Northern

Ireland's new under-19 boss. Ten years and 54 cups later, he is

still involved in the international setup but nowadays he is a coach.

a player, you only have to look after yourself. Everything is

organised. It is nice to see the other side now, the work that goes

on, always looking at games and analysing the opposition, trying to

do things right. It is good to come in and work with talented young

players. His knowledge of the game has rubbed off on this year's crop

of Milk Cup talent as they have played two and won two so far.

the opportunity came up, I think it was one that he fancied and I felt

he was a good person for that position. He had a great

international career, which is important. He did not always play

for the most glamorous clubs but he was a stalwart for a number of

years. As a player he got the most out of his career and that is a good

thing for any younger players to see. And if his current record as a

coach is anything to go by, the future of Northern Ireland football

is right. Portaferry swimmer Sycerika McMahon

set a new Irish record at the World Championships in Barcelona today.

She set the time and won her feet in the women's 100 metres freestyle

this morning. Unfortunately, it was not quite fast enough to qualify for

the final. The 18-year-old is also unable to compete in the

breaststroke, her best event, because of an administrative mix-up.

Confirmation that the All-Ireland quarterfinals, Monaghan against

Tyrone, carry a first -- Kerry versus Cavin, and Mayo versus

Donegal, we'll all be shown live on BBC Two this weekend. Back to the

police and fire games. As we heard earlier, the 10-day sporting event

is the biggest of its kind ever to take place in Northern Ireland. The

opening ceremony started at 6:30pm. These are live pictures now as the

67 international teams parade around the specially erected arena at the

Balmoral showgrounds. The Northern Ireland team will come at the end of

the procession. Our reporter is still there for us.

No sign of that Northern Ireland team behind me yet but as you can

see, everybody is really enjoying themselves. They are enjoying

Belfast but what can they actually do for the city? Lets talk to the

Culture Minister. What do you hope to get out of this? Make Belfast

seen as a world-class event. Loads of money going into the economy.

Loads of craic. Belfast has a lot to offer. It is only just starting.

There are still ten days to go. The volunteers of the story of the World

Police and Fire Games. A lot of people from all over are giving

their time up. People who may not have had a great relationship with

the services in the past but they are here and they will be involved

again in the future. That is the city going to get a view quid out of

it, because the games have cost �14 million to organise. The athletes

have covered much of the cost through sponsorship. We will get a

big return out of it. 56 ports. If you could pick one, which would you

like to participate in? Ann dodge ball. I thought you would dodge the

question. Thank you very much. I had hoped to talk to one of the

competitors but as you can see, they are all still in the opening

ceremony parade. There was one particular firefighter I wanted to

talk to, the sky, here. He's Madrid firefighter. He is in the Spanish

team. He promised me he would come over and talk to us live that I went

up to him a couple of seconds ago and I said, will you praise come

onto the television and he said, no way, Jose! You can see the website

address and you can watch the games being screened live. Do not give up

the day job! Jose, a firefighter, with a fire

hose? After all the rain we have had, it is probably a bit soggy

underfoot for the athletics. What is again tomorrow. Today has been very

eventful in terms of the weather. We have had the highest temperature

recorded across the UK so far this year, 34 degrees. But across the

West and just off the coast of Galway, we had this, a water spout

forming just off the coast. Quite eventful weather today. At the

moment, one or two Sharma is coming in as we go through the evening but

generally speaking, it will be a dry night. -- one or two Sharma 's. By

the afternoon tomorrow, back to the regime, as they say, of sunshine and

showers. But before that many eastern areas will enjoy a bright

start to the day with good spells of sunshine. In the West it will

improve later on. In the sun, not feeling too bad, with highs of 20 or

21 degrees. Scattered showers for the East and they will be heavy and

we are expecting some thunder or lightning. If you are caught out.

Especially with the south-westerly winds. It will be quite blustery.

That and improving picture for some areas in the West and towards the

north-west as we go into tomorrow evening. It looks like the part of

the East will hang on to scattered showers through the day. A more

manageable night. Temperatures dipping to 11 or 12 degrees because

of clear skies. A good start at least for Saturday morning. Decent

spells of sunshine for getting out for a walk. But showers will be back

on Saturday afternoon and some could even be. Still not feeling too bad

with highs of 19 or 20 degrees. The showers will be blustery with the

westerly wind and that will continue as we go into Sunday. Further

showers expected, similarly for Monday. So while showers are in the

forecast we can also expect sunshine and bridges will stay above normal

Showgrounds in south Belfast and the opening ceremony of the 2013 World

Police and Fire Games. It started at 6:30pm with a display of flags and

now all of the 67 teams, all of those countries from near and far,

all of the different competitors, are making their way into that